The venue completed 20 tasks focused on cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention practicesDolphins
Fans will be allowed at Hard Rock Stadium for Dolphins and Univ. of Miami games “at least in September” after the Dolphins earlier this summer mandated “socially distanced seating clusters,” according to Jackson, Hanks & Beasley of the MIAMI HERALD. There will be 13,000 fans allowed for both the Dolphins' home opener on Sept. 20 against the Bills and UM's home opener on Sept. 10 against UAB. In addition to the seating clusters, masks “will be mandatory when fans aren't eating or drinking, there will be no paper tickets, the team will add points of entries and exits to help avoid bottlenecks and use cashless purchases for concessions, parking and retail.” Hard Rock Stadium is the “first such facility in the world to receive GBAC STAR accreditation from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council.” The venue “completed 20 tasks focused on cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention practices to control risks associated with infectious agents.” Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez toured Hard Rock Stadium with Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel last week and “emerged impressed with the team's COVID-19 protocols” (MIAMI HERALD, 8/24).
FUTURE GAMES WILL BE DECIDED LATER: In West Palm Beach, Hal Habib notes the Dolphins' plan equates to 20% capacity "to allow for social distancing and only applies to the first home game." The team will "make determinations on subsequent home games in stages, depending on the area’s response to COVID-19." Season-ticket holders "will get first priority for those 13,000 tickets," and those who "choose to attend will be grouped together with their party." The Dolphins will "assure 6 feet of distance between parties by covering all seats within that 6-foot perimeter." Dolphins Senior VP/Operations Todd Boyan said that GBAC will provide "ongoing oversight to the stadium 'to make sure we’re held accountable by third-party experts in the field of infectious disease prevention'" (PALM BEACH POST, 8/24).
RISKS ARE STILL PRESENT: The AP's Steven Wine notes South Florida "remains a hot spot for the virus, and not all reaction to the Dolphins' plan was favorable." U.S. Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.), the former UM President, "expressed concern about the safety of those attending games." She said, "'It is very difficult to open anything when you have community spread. 'We still have community spread in South Florida. So the kinds of precautions that need to be taken are extraordinary, and I think it's going to be very difficult to do. ... There is no question that it's risky" (AP, 8/24).
